Immigrants Of The Week: Maria Da Silva, The Philadelphia Phillies, and Zbigniew Brzezinski

CNN has nominated twelve individuals for a community service hero award. One is Maria Da Silva, a native of Malawi. The Los Angeles nanny is funding a school in her native country in order to help fight the impact of AIDs, a disease that has killed fourteen of her family members and which infects 14% of the Malawi adult population. CNN describes the important work of Ms. Da Silva:

But from halfway around the world, as a nanny in Los Angeles, California, Da Silva provides a place where the orphans can get away from that -- The Jacaranda School.

In 2002, Da Silva learned that the school in her southern Africa home town was going to close. Consumed with concern for the students, she urged her mother to let them gather and learn in their family home, with her financial support.

"All the while I was doing my best for the kids here -- making sure they're doing their homework, eating well," she remembers.

"I couldn't sleep just thinking about the children that need the same thing back in Malawi," says Da Silva.

Thanks to Da Silva's passion, the school is now thriving in her childhood home and more than 200 children, most of whom are AIDS orphans, receive porridge every morning and education, free of charge. It is an effort that Da Silva funds almost entirely herself, sending $1,000, about one-third of her monthly paycheck, to pay the salaries of 12 teachers and the headmaster, and purchase whatever supplies she can afford. Several of her fellow nannies have even gotten involved, donating $10 a month to her foundation.

While the classes are crowded and resources are few (there are only 15 books in the library, according to Da Silva), her efforts are working.

"We have kids studying in our family living room, kitchen, gazebo, you name it. They're so hungry to learn," Da Silva explains. "This is their sanctuary."

That she has saved this school as a nanny and not a well-funded philanthropist really says a lot. She contributes one third of her income to the cause and has recruited many of her nanny friends to help as well. Congratulations Ms. Da Silva.

The National League champs from Philadelphia were the 3-2 victors in tonight's opening game of the 105t Major League Baseball World Series. Each team has a number of immigrants from a variety of countries making this truly a WORLD Series.

Maybe its a state of the times that Zbigniew Brzezinski's daughter Mika, co-host of MSNBC's popular Morning Joe political chat show, is probably better known than her father. The Polish-born Professor Brzezinski was, however, President Carter's National Security Advisor.

Brzezinski's father was a diplomat and during the years leading up to World War II, his family lived in Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia, two experiences that surely had an impact on him. He eventually moved to Canada and attended university there. In the 50s, he attended graduate school at Harvard and then joined their faculty. He later moved to Columbia University and while there served as an advisor to John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.

Jimmy Carter noted during his 1976 campaign that he studied the writings of Brzezinski and then tapped the professor for his Administration. He played a role from the very beginning, including writing part of Carter's inaugural address.

Brzezinski was never a popular figure and fought with fellow members of the Carter Administration over the continuation of the Nixon-Ford policy of détente with the Soviets. His promotion of the Solidarity movement in Poland was criticized, though most analysts believe that the later fall of the communists in Eastern Europe was a vindication of his positions.

Professor Brzezinski is still an active player in foreign affairs and is regularly interviewed regarding his opinions. He's been a vocal critic of the Bush Administration's waging of the War on Terror and has also weighed in on the current presidential campaign.

About The Author

Greg Siskind is a partner in Siskind Susser's Memphis, Tennessee, office. After graduating magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University, he received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago. Mr. Siskind is a member of AILA, a board member of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and a member of the ABA, where he serves on the LPM Publishing Board as Marketing Vice Chairman. He is the author of several books, including the J Visa Guidebook and The Lawyer's Guide to Marketing on the Internet. Mr. Siskind practices all areas of immigration law, specializing in immigration matters of the health care and technology industries. He can be reached by email at gsiskind@visalaw.com.

The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of ILW.COM.